


baby, you're hands down the best thing about me

by crookedemrys



Series: magical teenage cliches™ [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe- High School, Alternate Universe- Teenage Cliches, Arthur is emotionally constipated, Boys In Love, Dorks Being Dorky and In Love, Dorks in Love, F/F, Fluff, I love fluffy idiots, Insecure Arthur, Insecurity, Jock Arthur, M/M, Morgana being The Best, Oblivious Merlin, Teenage Cliche, varsity jackets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-20 01:50:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9470174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crookedemrys/pseuds/crookedemrys
Summary: "I just, maybe.. want you to come to my footy games? and us to hold hands in the hallway, and you to-- /bloody hell/ --maybe wear my jacket, okay?"merlin is oblivious, morgana gives good advice, gwaine and percival are Absolutely Not Subtle, and arthur maybe just wants his boyfriend to wear his fucking varsity jacket, /goddammit/.also known as; the one where the merlin gang are a mess of teenage cliches.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I should be writing my articles for the school paper but a plot bunny bit me. i'm going to go read el filibusterismo now.  
> kudos would be lovely, if you enjoyed this!
> 
>  
> 
> title comes from 'hands down" by the greeting committee. i am not even sorry for the amount of cliches.  
> alternate universe- teenage cliche should be a thing.
> 
> (also i might make this a verse at one point. oops.)

It all started when Gwaine took Percy took the footy team's afterparty as his date.

That was the beginning of Arthur's descent into (slight) madness.

Percival and Gwaine were two people who you  _probably_ wouldn't expect to be touchy-feely as a couple. Well, actually, maybe just Percival. (Gwaine liked to hug _EVERYBODY_.) 

Everybody mostly included a certain Merlin Emrys, who had been one of his friends since kindergarten.

Merlin Emrys was also Arthur's boyfriend. He was a slim, tall boy with dark hair that stuck up at times, and killer cheekbones. He was also someone who was  _constantly_ moving about, and who tended to babble when he got nervous (which was often) around people but also someone who would hold his ground when he believed in something.

In short, Arthur adored him.

Their first meeting had not gone well. In fact, it went the complete opposite of well. Arthur had been a complete snob to Merlin, and so Merlin had called him a big-head, stuck up prick, before storming off in an angry huff. Arthur, upon reflecting upon his actions that night, had come to his senses, and realized that he had indeed, been a prat to the other boy. The next morning, Arthur had waited for Merlin with an apology coffee in a Star Wars thermos, and grudging friendship had followed, which developed into terrible, / _TERRIBLE/,_ awkward attempts at courtship (Arthur), and obliviousness (Merlin).

They had gotten their shit together, and kissed each other, eventually. By eventually, Arthur meant after MONTHS of pining and misunderstanding, which resulted in Arthur snapping and grabbing Merlin and kissing him breathless against their lockers, and Merlin happily reciprocating.

(Morgana may or may not have burst into applause when it happened.)

Which brings us to now.

Arthur watched as Gwaine leant up to brush a soft kiss to Percival's cheek, which made Percy smile, and wrap his arms tighter around the other boy's waist.

The two were practically radiating happiness, wrapped up in their own little bubble. Arthur was happy for both of them. Before Percy came along, Gwaine had been a notorious dater-- his escapades were known around the school. But ever since he had laid eyes on Percival, it seemed, his days of sleeping around were over. 

"Any reason you're staring at Gwaine and Percival the way you used to stare at Merlin before you both got your heads out of your asses?"

A female voice interrupted. Morgana elbowed him suddenly, her gaze drifting towards the happy couple, before snapping back to him. She was holding a red solo cup, which was most likely filled with some sort of alcoholic drink, and looked slightly flushed, meaning that this wasn't her first drink. 

"I'm not-- staring at them like /anything/, Morgana." 

"Mhm. No, that's totally /not/ your Pining Arthur face."

"I do not have a--! I don't have a pining/anything!" Arthur spluttered, glaring at her. Morgana said nothing, only took a sip of her drink and raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever you say, brother dearest." She rolled her eyes at him. "Now seriously, Arthur. What's the problem? I know you're not all that attracted to either of them-- of course, if you were, you and Merlin would have a problem. So it's not that."

Hesitantly, Arthur replied. "No, it's not." His eyes drifted towards the couple (who were now dancing together) again. "It's just...' he trailed off, then.

Morgana followed his gaze, and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, thwacked him, / _hard_ / on his arm. 

"You," she declared, "Are an idiot."

"Cheers, sis. Thanks for that."

"Look, if you want to, you know-- take Merlin as your date to parties and stuff, then fucking /ask/ him, for fuck's sake. D'you honestly think anyone would  _REALLY_ care?" Morgana swept her arm arund the various members of Arthur's footy team in the room. "I mean, we all know you guys are dating! What's the issue?"

"The issue is me," Arthur groaned, letting his head fall back. 

"What d'you mean?"

"I don't just want-- you know, that--" Arthur gestured at Gwaine and Percy again. "I want, you know, all of it. I want to hold Merlin's hand in the hallway, I want to drive him to school, and take him to prom, and all that." He said, flushing slightly.

"God, I knew all those years of John Hughes romcoms would rub off on you.' Morgana said, wonderingly.

"Oh, for g-- never mind, forget I said anything." Arthur bit out, fed up with the conversation.

Morgana's gaze softened, considerably. "Have you tried telling  _Merlin_ that?"

"Of course not!"

"Maybe you should." Morgana said, quietly- after a moment of silence. She spotted Gwen in the crowd, and walked off, to join her girlfriend in the throng of dancing teenagers, leaving Arthur standing against the wall. He closed his eyes.

 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

 

"Arthur-- there you are! I've been searching for you for ages." Merlin's voice broke Arthur out of his reverie, and he opened his eyes to his boyfriend grinning at him. 

"Erm. Not to be rude, but--why are you standing against a wall with your eyes closed? Normally, you and Gwaine would be having a dance-off right about now."

He jerked his head toward the dance floor. Arthur stifled a laugh. That was true. He and Gwaine /did/ have an indisputable dance rivalry.

 _Maybe you should tell him,_ Morgana's voice rang through Arthur's head again.

"Arthur?" 

"I'm having a crisis." he said.

"What kind of crisis? A sexuality one? Bit late for that, don't you think, prat?" Merlin joked, but Arthur could see the insecurity lurking just below the surface of his question.

"No." He paused. "A PDA crisis."

"Oh." Merlin said. "/Oh/." He breathed out, eyes wide. "Okay."

"Yep." Arthur said, nervously.

"So you want to be a bit more public? Like-" Merlin started saying, but Arthur cut him off.

"I just, maybe... want you to come to my footy games? and us to hold hands in the hallway, and you to-- _/bloody hell/_  --maybe wear my jacket, okay?"

Arthur blurted out, suddenly. 

Merlin stopped, looking surprised.

Arthur couldn't breathe. Oh  _/god/._ He had blown it. Merlin was going to _break up with him._

But then, he had his arms full of Merlin, and Merlin's lips were on him, kissing so softly, and sweetly, and  _oh my god._ After a few minutes, Arthur pulled away, to look at Merlin.

"You're an idiot." Merlin stated, eyes bright with fondness. 

"Thanks, Merls. Really feeling the love." Arthur drawled.

"Shut it, you." Merlin sighed, grabbing Arthur's arms and wrapping them around his waist. "Why didn't you just  _ask_ me?" he asked.

Arthur said nothing. He turned bright red."Oh. /Oh/. Oh my /god/, you were sh--"

"Finish that sentence and I swear to god--"

'You were shy! Bright red! Oh, you're adorable." Merlin cooed. Arthur wrinkled his nose, before sullenly muttering. 

"/You're/ adorable. I'm not."

"Technically, that's not an insult." Merlin crowed, happily, leaning in closer.

"Shut up, Merlin."

"Nah. Don't feel like like it. "

"You're insufferable and I hate you."

Merlin leaned his head on Arthur's chest, wrapping his arms around Arthur's shoulders.

"No you don't," he said softly, eyes twinkling. 

"Nah. Guess not." Arthur whispered back, happily.

-/-/-/-

 

Arthur's varsity jacket was far too big on Merlin.

Merlin's hands were just a /little bit/ sweaty.

Sometimes, they were late for school.

Also, the prom committee kind of sucked (But Arthur wouldn't tell Lancelot that).

 

 

Arthur didn't care. It was everything he had ever wanted, and so, so much better.

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! you're lovely. x


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